Encouragement
The Resurrection
The Resurrection, like the New Birth, contains new life. You might be surprised to know that the Resurrection is not a New Testament them. The Old Testament saints believed in and expected a Resurrection. Jesus, speaking to Martha said; “ your brother Lazarus shall rise again, Martha said, I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day”. John 11:23,24 Martha believed in the Resurrection…The book of Job is probally the oldest book in the bible, Job believed in the Resurrection, he said; “ If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands” Job 14:14 Job not only believed in the Resurrection, he believed that God was going to use him again after his Resurrection....God gave the Old Testament saints a beautiful promise of a Resurrection through the prophet Hosea, listen. “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes”. Hosea 13:14 God ransoming them from the grave is God Resurrecting them from the grave…Jesus was teaching a group people one day and He said; “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” John 5:28,29 According Jesus, it does not matter if you are a sinner or saint, there is going to be a Resurrection in your life, the sinner to damnation, the saint to life…
Many of us confuse a Restoration To The Old Life, with a Resurrection To Newness Of Life. Lazarus was Restored to his old life, lived about twenty more years, and then died again. Jesus was Resurrected to newness of life, never to die again, and He also took on a glorified body…According to 1 Corinthians 15:23 there is an order to the Resurrection. Jesus is the first in the order of the Resurrection, and the Church saints. The Old Testament and Tribulation saint are next in the order of the Resurrection according to Revelation 20:4 This concludes the first Resurrection. The Resurrection of the unjust will occur after the Millennial reign of Christ. At this point in time Jesus is the only person that has experienced a real Resurrection, therefore He is the only person in heaven with a glorified body…I know that someone will think about Enoch and Elijah, who did not experience death on earth, but they did experience death.
Enoch and Elijah was transported to the First Heaven, died, their spirit and soul went on into the Third Heaven, where God lives. The angels brought their dead bodies back to earth and buried them… I know that they experienced death because Jesus said; “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 3:13 Jesus said that no man as ascended into the third heaven but He Himself. Paul gives us addition information that agrees with Jesus, Paul said; “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption”. 1 Cor. 15:50 Enoch and Elijah ascended to the first heaven in their natural bodies that was corrupted with Adam’s sin nature, this disqualified them from entering the third heaven in the presence of God…Jesus has made us a precious promise, but He cannot bring it to pass in our lives unless there be a Resurrection in our lives. Listen to what the bible says; “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Rev. 20:6 The saints in the first Resurrection shall rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years is the promise. The one thousand years reign of Christ is an earthly reign, He will rule and reign right here on this same earth where we live today, and on this earth we need a body. God created Adam in a body for this earth. Everyone’s body has been corrupted with sin, the only way to get a new one is through the Resurrection…
Scripture promises us a glorified body just like Jesus glorified, listen; “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 1 Cor.15:48,49 As I now bear the image of Adam, for I inherited this physical body from Adam, at my Resurrection, I shall bear the image of the heavenly Adam, Jesus Christ. The bible does give is a description of the Church saints taking on their glorified bodies…Before I share it, allow me first share with you a portion of scripture that will keep us in the right frame of mind. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:51 “ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Here Paul says that there is a Mystery involved in the Resurrection, meaning no one will have all of the answers to how God will bring this to fruition. Just like we cannot explain how God created the world and man from nothing, it is a Mystery.
Portions of the Resurrection is a Mystery. Our description of the Church saints taking on their glorified bodies is taken from 1Thes. 4: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord…
Jesus has promised to return for the Church. John 14:3 Paul says that when Jesus returns for the saints, He will bring the saints that are in heaven right now, though they are but spirit and soul, Jesus will bring them back and their bodies that they left on earth at death will be Resurrected and be reconnected with their spirit and soul and the saints that are alive at that time will simply be changed, both groups will be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds and so shall we forever be with the Lord. Remember that there is a Mystery involved. After we arrive in heaven, we will go through the Judgment Seat of Christ where our bad works will be burned up and then we will go into the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb. When Jesus comes back to earth to set up the Kingdom, we will accompany Him and live and reign with Christ for His Millennial reign. We will live in eternity in our glorified bodies, fit for heaven and earth. Amen
www.drbernardajonesministries.org
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